Thunderstorm
by Celestial Chaos
Summary: Marauder era Regulus/Snape. This was a fic written for the forum challenge "Kissing in the Rain". Please R&R!


**Author's Notes: Hi everyone! So here is a short story about Snape and Regulus for the forum challenge "Kissing in the Rain". I got the pairing months ago and finished the prompt but I never actually posted it-I think I thought I had deleted it which was why. But here it is, whoo! It's not my best writing, but the whole point of taking the prompt was getting out of my comfort zone to write something to get my juices flowing again. It did its job, so that's what matters. :)**

**I've never written anything that heavily featured either of these characters, at least not for years, so please let me know what you think. No spoilers for anything, just a little Snape/Regulus fluff! **

**Enjoy!**

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Regulus had been planning it for weeks. Each minute detail had been taken into account, to the point of near obsession. Everything had to be _perfect_. With someone like Severus Snape, the smallest thing gone wrong could ruin _everything_.

Maybe it was silly to be so focused on something like this. After all, Regulus had no idea how it would be received. It was a brave move—almost stupid, if he thought about it long enough—but he was a teenager, bursting at the seams with raw emotion and adoration. It felt right, and that was all that mattered.

Still, he couldn't help feeling somewhat nervous. This was a make-it-or-break-it situation for him. Should things go wrong, he at least felt comfort knowing that he had the winter holidays to clear things up.

He waited eagerly for Charms to be over. Regulus had barely focused on the lesson at all. He mostly stared out the window at the courtyard where he intended to reveal his plan. The sky above had darkened throughout the entire lesson. Rain was coming, or maybe it was snow. Regulus couldn't be sure.

Professor Flitwick's voice cut into his reverie. "All right, all right, I can see nobody's paying much attention now, so I'll let you go. However, I expect to see each of you fully capable of casting at least three non-verbal spells when you come back from the holidays. Happy Christmas to all!"

Regulus swiftly lifted himself up and out of his seat. Nearby, a pair of Gryffindors sniggered amongst themselves and pointed in his direction. He ignored them, sweeping by with his head held high. He had far too much on his mind to worry what some insignificant girls were heckling about.

Within minutes Regulus was on the ground floor, heading out into the crisp, wintry air. It woke him up, flushing his pale cheeks pink.

Unsurprisingly, when Regulus arrived at the fountain in the center of the courtyard, Snape was already present. He was wrapping his thick black cloak around himself.

"Severus, afternoon," Regulus greeted the other with a faint smile.

"Regulus," Snape said, "did we have to meet outside?"

"Yes. I thought we could go down by the lake and discuss some things. Privacy, all that. You know." Regulus raised his eyebrows. Though they would have had little dispute from fellow Slytherins discussing hexes and curses in the common room, there were too many people for Regulus to do what he truly wanted.

"If you insist." Snape gave the faintest of eye rolls, following Regulus as the younger Slytherin began on the path leading to the lake.

Regulus placed his book bag beside the large tree overlooking the lake. As Severus did the same, the sky above gave a low rumble. It had become nearly black in the time it had taken them to get outside. A storm was on its way.

Time was crucial now.

He took a seat beneath the tree, staring up at his sullen companion. "So, will you be going home for the holidays, Severus?"

"Likely not. My father…" He pursed his lips. "I'd prefer to stay here. I don't think my parents will mind."

The sky gave another rumble, considerably longer than before.

Severus looked up at the grey clouds above them. "I think we should go inside. It feels like it's about to rain."

"Nonsense," Regulus said. He smiled slightly. "It's been doing that all day. You were in the dungeons, so you wouldn't know."

"Mm."

The younger Slytherin tried not to feel affronted by the distance Severus was putting between them. It had started some time ago, and at first it didn't seem much of a bother. Now, trying to get Snape to talk as avidly as had in the past was like pulling teeth.

"I've been practicing the spell you taught me." Regulus gestured for Snape to sit down beside him, but the older one stayed put. "The motion is a little bit more difficult than I thought."

"I have full faith you'll figure it out," Severus said evenly. He glanced down at Regulus, then up at the sky. Suddenly, he made a face, and he reached up to wipe at his nose.

"What happened?"

A thunderclap roared through the black mass of clouds, and in a split second, rain began pouring down. Severus sputtered and lifted his cloak up and over his head, rushing beneath the tree. It provided almost no protection, being little more than a mass of extensive branches. Regulus hurried to stand, using his cloak as well to protect himself.

"This is ridiculous!" Snape muttered. He grabbed his wand, pointed at a nearby broken branch, and whipped his wrist in a tight circular motion. The branch transformed into an umbrella, which Snape bent down, grabbed, and then popped open. He held it above his and Regulus' heads. "We need to get inside. Grab your bag and let us go."

Regulus felt overwhelmed. All of his careful planning, ruined by the rain! What was he supposed to do now? He began to tremble, though whether it was from frustration or from the cold, he didn't know. Snape's words went in one ear and out the other. He simply stared at the other's robes, unable to meet his eyes.

"Are you deaf, Regulus? Did you hear me? Grab your bag and get _moving_. It's only going to get worse!"

_Oh, sod it all,_ Regulus thought rashly. He channeled the aggravation within, using it to smash his discomfort. He looked up into Severus' dark eyes and swallowed.

"Grab your _bag_!" Snape snapped. "We—"

Regulus leaned forward, pressing his lips against Snape's in an assertive kiss. The older Slytherin's words were lost in the moment. The thunder, the rain, the cold—all of it melted away, fading into the background.

Weeks of planning had led up to this.

And every bit was worth it.


End file.
